Envelope opener



. 1934- J. STEPHAN El AL 1,943,193

ENVELOPE OPENER Original Filed Nov. 1932 Fry-. 5. 115.11.

awvemto w (WM/MM Josepu STEPHAN PAUL HENCKEL elf town Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES ENVELOPE OPENER Joseph Stephan, Union City, and Paul Henckel,

, North Bergen, N. J.

Application November 1, 1932, No. 640,728

, Renewed August 11, 1938 2 Claims. (Cl. 120-35) The invention aims to provide an exceptionally simple and inexpensive, yet an efiicient and rapid device for conveniently opening envelopes.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matterhereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly broken away and in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

A preferred construction has been illustrated and will be specifically described, with the understanding however, that within the scope of the invention as claimed, variations may be made.

The device includes a body or block 5 having a vertical blade-holding portion' 6 and a handle portion 7, said handle portion projecting laterally from the lower part of said blade-holding portion and being integral therewith. The blade-holding portion 6 is provided near its lower edge with a longitudinal groove 8 which is open at both the front and rear ends of the block 5 and opens laterally to receive an edge portion of an envelope, said groove being opposite the handle portion '7 so that the part of the blade-holding portion 6 weakened by said groove, is reinforced by said handle portion.

- The vertical blade-holding portion 6 is formed with a longitudinal kerf 9 which preferably opens through both the front and rear ends of said portion and opens also through the upper edge thereof, said edge being inclined as shown. The

kerf is provided with an inclined bottom 10 which however does not extend throughout the length of said kerf, so that a lower portion of the latter may communicate with the groove 8.

An inclined blade 11, preferably a conventional safety razor blade, is removably received in the kerf 10 and at one of its lower comer portions, extends obliquely across the groove 8. The blade 11 is provided with a longitudinal back 12 extending over the inclined edge 13 of the block portion 6, and the upper edge of said back is engaged by a lateral terminal 14 on the free end of a spring arm 15 which is secured upon the edge 13, by means of screws or the like 16. The entire front end of the arm 15 is preferably bent downwardlyto provide a detent 17, and the upper edge of the blade back 12 is formed with two notches 18, either of which may engage said detent, according to the end of the blade disposed forwardly. The detent 1'7 and the co-acting notch 18 normally hold the entire blade against longitudinal sliding in the kerf 9, but yieldably hold said blade so that when one of its comers becomes dulled, the blade may be readily slid from the kerf reversed, and reinserted, thereby presenting the other corner to perform the cutting operation. Also, by somewhat bending the spring 15 to vary its tension,

the blade may be forced downwardly with sumcient pressure to either cut entirely through envelopes, or to merely cut through one side thereof, as the user may desire.

The edge of theenvelope to be opened, is inserted into the groove 8 and while the envelope is held with one hand, the opener is slid along said edge, so that the eifective lower corner of the blade 11 will either entirely remove the edge portion of the envelope, or slit through one side thereof, as may be desired.

Not only is the device exceptionally simple and inexpensive, but it may be conveniently and rapidly operated, may use first one corner of the blade and then the othercomer to obtain maximum life of said blade, and may have a worn out blade entirely replaced by a new one, at infinitesimal cost.

We claim;

1. An envelope opener comprising a block having a horizontal open-ended groove opening laterally to receive an edge portion of an envelope, said block being formed with a vertical blade-receiving kerf which opens through the upper edge of the block and opens into the upper side of said groove, an inclined blade received in said kerf and having a lower corner portion extending across said groove, said blade being provided with a longitudinal back over said block, and a spring arm secured to said block and having a portion resting upon said back to yieldably hold the blade in the kerf.

2. An envelope opener comprising a block hav-.

ing a horizontal open-ended groove opening laterally to receive an edge portion of an envelope, said block being formed with a vertical blade-receiving kerf which opens through the upper edge of the block, through the front and rear ends of said block, and into the upper side of said groove, an inclined blade received removably in said kerf and having a lower front corner portion extending across said groove, said blade being provided with a longitudinal back over said block, and a spring arm secured to said block and having a free end lying upon said back to hold the blade yieldably in the kerf, said free end of said spring arm having a downwardly projecting detent, said back being formed with a notch receiving said detent to holdthe blade against sliding longitudinally.

JOSEPH STEPHAN. PAUL HENCKEL. 

